The Hope of the Last

Chapter Three: Slow Progress and Future Prospects

Liking the story? :D If so, then vote, comment, or even fan! Pretty please with a bunny on top? *sweet innocent puppydog-eyed look* Thank you and enjoy the show ~Usagi

As I bustle around the room next to mine trying to clean it out and make it more suitable for living in, I hear Tsuki call for me from the other room. His voice is still weak but it's slowly growing stronger by the hour. I smile at his incredible progress. I checked on his arm and it was completely fine now and on his chest, there's only a scar. He's only completely healed on the outside but on the inside he's still a bit torn up.

"Just give me a minute Tsuki!" I call back. "I'm getting the rest of the extra stuff out of your room."

"Oh. Thanks. I was just wondering if there was anything I could do to help," he replies in his soft voice. He pauses. "I think that I might be able to at least try to take a couple steps now."

I straighten up from sweeping the fireplace and walk into the other room. He's sitting up with his bare feet dangling off the edge. The floor is still freezing though! He might catch a cold and that really wouldn't help matters, I think to myself and frown slightly. I go over to my bed and pick up a pair of boots that used to belong to my brother. I go back to where Tsuki is sitting and ask him to hold his foot up. He obliges and I hold one of the boots up. Seems about right. I nod to myself and stand up.

"You really don't talk much do you?" His solemn voice says. "You just nod or don't even reply at all..."

"I'm sorry. I'm just used to being alone. I haven't actually held a conversation with anyone for a year or more... After my family started getting attacked, I... I started to talk less and less and once they were all gone... I had no reason to speak," I explain, feeling a pang of remorse for my family and friends.

"Oh." He smiles in sympathy and falls silent. I was lost deep in my thoughts when he spoke again. "Um, I'm sorry but could you, er, help me put on the boots? It still hurts a bit to, ah, move my torso..."

Oh right! I've forgotten what I was doing completely. "Sorry," I mumble as I help him guide his foot into the boot. They're a perfect fit, and I'm a bit surprised because my brother had been only fourteen when he wore these. I look up at Tsuki and observe, yet again, that he is quite small. I'm curious to know who's taller, me with my very short body or him. I must have been staring because he shifts his legs as if to remind me again of what I'm doing.

I stand up and offer him my arm for support, which he gladly takes. I pull him to his feet and he nearly collapses. I grab both of his shoulders and steady him. I put his arm around my own shoulders and he leans his weight on me. He struggles to lift a foot, but manages to take a small step. He takes a shaky breath and gives me a small smile. I smile back reassuringly and he keeps moving.

We continue a short stop and go routine for about an hour before he asks me to let him go. I nod, slowly stepping away, but staying close in case he falls. He stands still for a moment and straightens his back. He wobbles slightly and I make a move to grab his shoulders, but he just pushes away my hands. He takes a step and wobbles again, but stays upright. By the end of just half an hour of waking by himself, he is able to walk the length of my large room and a little into the room soon to be his.

"You're doing great!" I exclaimed and sat down on my bed, watching him move around. "Earlier you said you just wanted to try to take a couple steps, but now look what you're doing!" He smiled and walked over to his bed and sank down.

"It's good to walk again. I don't remember when I could last walk. Before I was attacked by something and came here, I just remember flying for days on end, looking for something..." He gets a faraway look in his eyes and stares blankly towards a doorway. He shakes his head and smiles at me sadly. "Unfortunately, I can't seem to remember what it was I was looking for... I have a feeling it's something important though..."

I frown, feeling sorry for him. He can't even remember why he was flying for so long. But maybe it's fate that brings us together. Now I have a pack again, which makes me very happy. Maybe I can help him find what he's looking for. It would give me purpose to keep on living and I could actually say that I accomplished something in my life.

The word fate reminds me of something I feel I have heard long ago... But the feeling passes. In this time, everything has happened before, so everything is familiar. The impossible has been done, the facts proven myth... Mankind destroyed itself and human-animal hybrids rule the world. And yet no one believes anything anymore. Everything is impossible. Hope doesn't exist. I frown when I think about how unique my pack was. They were different and now they're gone forever.

I realize I've been frowning at the floor for the past few minutes and look up. I might have worried Tsuki. He is staring towards the entrance to the cave which is hidden from his view from a rock wall. He looks like he is very far away from here. Possibly where he came from... Possibly where he is searching for...

I decide to leave him to his thoughts and set about getting snow from outside to heat up for some sort of stew for dinner. I see that Tsuki is still lost in thought as he goes over to his bed, a bit shaky still, and sits down. I go into my own room and set the bucket of snow in front of the fire. I now have nothing to do, so I too sit down, staring at the dancing flames. It's not long before I'm drowning in my own thoughts, prospects, musings of what the future may bring.

*very dramatic huffing sigh* No one is commenting at all... I know at least a few people have at least checked it out and I know that you people are put living your busy lives and can't spare a single minute of it just to type the words "pretty good" or "no." I want feedback people! I know it's only the third chapter and its going pretty slowly buuuut yeah... I promise the next chapter will be much more interesting! Hope you like it. ~Usagi